A Hero Without a Blade
by finessa
Summary: "I always knew you were different. Ever since you were a little girl. I knew you were going to leave me someday and become someone amazing. You belong somewhere else. Not here." /In which a girl, thought to be powerless, discovers her own kind of strength. It brings her farther than she anticipated- more specifically, at the gates of the infamous U.A. High./ [KatsukixOC] Slow-Paced
1. Chapter 1

**READ PLS**

 **Hey. If you're reading this, thank you and I want you to know you're rad.**

 **I'm taking a shot at this OC/Bakugou paring since I can just imagine Katsuki being a cute little angsty egg when faced with love-life problems. I hope to capture him accurately and try not to deviate from his original attitude/character as the story goes on.**

 **I'm not really too big on explaining things, so I've made this fanfiction to be where you find out things through dialogue or triggered events. For example, you won't know what the character's name or quirk is until next chapter. But if you REALLY want to know, read this backwards:**

 **Her name: ustimihcaH nakiM**

 **Her quirk: noitacifilpmA**

 **I hope you enjoy :D**

 ***(ALSO, things will go slowly at the beginning since I really want the immersion that a lot of fanfictions miss)***

 ****(AND This first chapter is especially long because I want to cover as much ground as I can before I get into the actual story)****

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"And get some milk, too, sweetheart. We're running out."

"'Kay," I smile, waving goodbye to my mother. She closes the door after me as I make my way out of the apartment complex.

This is what my normal day looks like: a trip to the market once a week, taking care of my ill mother while juggling both school and my part-time job. Sure, my life isn't that exciting, in fact, it was the epitome of repetitiveness. I'm not complaining, though. I consider myself lucky for being content, as well as having the ability to predict what my next boring day will be like. Given that I'm quirkless.

Today was rather uneventful, like always. Patches of clouds dotted the sky, but was nonetheless a bright day. I hop on my peach pink bicycle, taking off to the nearest busy road.

 _'Hey now, you're an all star, get your game on, go play..'_ I sing to myself, pedaling down the street. _'Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get-_ Woah! What the-"

A sudden explosion reverberated through the air and shook the nearby cars on their respective lanes. _What the hell_.. _?!_ I look over my shoulder to try to get a glimpse of what was going on and sighed a sigh of relief.

The commotion was at a pretty good distance away from me and my destination. Surely, there would be heroes that would intervene before the situation becomes worse. _That explosion was still nothing to laugh at, though..._ _Will they be okay?_

"Who am I kidding?.." I say to myself. "They'll be okay.. I hope."

.

The market was surprisingly empty for a Saturday. There were customers strewn out here and there but it was akin to a wasteland.

I shook the unnecessary thoughts off and focused on my shopping list. I didn't have a lot to get, since I lived in a two-person family household. And right now, I've got the majority of the list in my cart. The only thing that's left were the strawberries, which were in the fruit section way in the back of the store.

"Alright, here we go," I settle a small basket of the fruit in-between the can of whip cream and the loaf of bread, ready to head to the checkout.

The last thing I forgot to get had completely slipped from my mind, and was actually not my shopping list at all was... a disfigured hand of a mutated villain.. standing right behind me.

"Whole wheat bread, huh? Soy milk, too.." a guttural voice whispered next to my ear as the hand rummaged through my cart. "Let me guess, you're a vegan?" My face froze stiff; my whole body refused to react in any way. All I could hear was the beating of my heart and the rough breathing of the unwelcome visitor. He continued, "I _hate_ vegans."

Unable to formulate an appropriate response, I look down and watched the sweat drip off my chin, never having been in a situation quite like this. _I-I want my normal day back...! I don't like this...! Mom..!_

"I-I'm not a vegan.." I stutter quietly. The villain, oozing literal menace, hummed inquisitively. "I-I said I'm not a vegan! It's for my mom.. she's lactose-intolerant. Please let me go..."

"Is that so?"

I nodded. Courage began spontaneously building up inside me, and I managed to look behind from the corner of my eye.

A seven foot tall, charcoal-black man that looked like a ripped Michael Phelps towered over me, inspecting me curiously. There was a large hole in the market ceiling: his improvised entrance. Why wasn't I able to hear any of that breaking?

"Don't bother screaming by the way," he states, pointing to a passing shopper down the isle. "My quirk allows me to create a sound barrier approximately two meters around me. No one will hear you scream, so don't waste your breath. Not that it'll make difference either way," he began laughing menacingly.

I felt my stomach drop and my blood run cold. I was scared.. but I was also furious. Just fuming for a reason I can't explain. This feeling was completely foreign to me. Before I could stop myself, my mouth opened to reply, "Why?"

"Why? Because you're weak. HAHAHAHAHAWHAHA!"

Tears welled up in my eyes. My whole body was convulsing with terror, and a knowing thought in the back of my head confirmed that there was no way I could make it out of this alive. _This is it..._

 _I'm sorry, mom._

"Just sit still and behave," the stranger instructs, grabbing me by the shoulders and turning me around to face him. "You'd make a nice meat suit. Nobody will suspect a cute little girl to have none other than _THE_ **Knitemare** inside of her. Remember the name, kid, as you scream in pain from me entering you-"

"EW NO!" I quickly grab the soy milk and threw it at the villain's face. He took a step back, shocked and appalled from being rudely interrupted. "Why the hell do you think you have the right to play God like this, you sick fuck!"

I took the chance to sprint away. Once I knew I was out of the two-meter zone, I began screaming like a madman. "HELP! THERE'S A VILLAIN IN HERE! SOMEBODY CALL THE HEROES!" I turned a corner of the isle and saw people scrambling towards the entrance, one employee was on the phone crying desperately to an operator.

 _Good! I got the word out..!_

"YOU FUCKING WHORE- GET BACK HERE!"

"Go to hel- AH! CREEPY!" I screeched, jumping back in shock.

The villain, it seems, used his hands to do the walking. A threatening and downright freaky sight of a black, ripped Michael Phelps walking on his hands approached me with great speed. Before I could react and sprint out the front entrance, I found myself toppled over on the floor.

Blood dripped out of my nose, and my left cheek was throbbing from a dull pain. A hand squeezed the top of my head as the villain brought his face to my ear once more. "Little bitches go to hell, you know?"

I hesitantly laugh; all fear from my body has dissipated due to the adrenaline rush. "I didn't expect you to be a Christian."

"Eh, I like to call myself a Catholic, rather."

" _Why don't you start calling yourself dead, you piece of shit_?"

I gasp, straining my head against the pressure. The foreign voice traced back to a man in a blue spandex bodysuit standing on top of the soup isle. He held a metal trident and was pointing it at the villain on top of me. _I recognize him!_

" **W-Walmart Aquaman!** " I muster.

Tears rolled off my face without notice. It was only now that there was a materialization of hope in front of me, did I realize how terrified I actually was. Although I ran away, now that I was captured, I had no intention of fighting back. It struck me with a strange sense of.. disappointment in myself.

 _How... how ready was I to die..?_

"Let that girl go and your life will be spared," the hero continued. "But as long as you are endangering her life, we will have no other choice but to change that!"

He suddenly leapt into the air, poising his trident towards Knitemare but the villain quickly avoided harm by rolling to the side rather unfashionably. "You can have your girl! I'll find another!" he declared, bolting out the double doors of the market.

"Get back here!" Walmart Aquaman followed suit, "Team! He's headed towards Starbucks in Main! There's a whole lot of girls in there that will be in a whole lot of danger if we let him escape!"

Disregarding the ringing in my ears as well as the pain that spanned throughout my whole scalp, I stood up hastily. Black spots in my vision emerged as I circled around the market to my bike. _I need to get home ASAP!_ _The heroes can handle this. I'm not having anything to do with this shit- hell no!_

Halfway out of the parking lot, a realization dawned over me. "Shit!" I spat, squeezing the handlebar brakes. "I forgot the groceries!"

I can't be going home without stock for food, especially when my mom was hoping for a refill of her soy milk. I speedily run back to the site of my first encounter with the black, ripped Michael Phelps. To my relief, the grocery cart was intact as well as the groceries inside. The only thing that needed replacing was the open box of soy milk I previously threw at the villain's face.

"Okay, this is okay- I'm okay..!" I say to myself, clamping a hand down on my bleeding head, the other steering the cart. "Here we go- I'm done. Thank god!" With the box of soy milk safely in the cart, I veered my way back to the front checkout. I pull out a full hundred-dollar bill [ **or however much it is in yen** ], throwing it on top of the partially destroyed cash register.

"W-Wait..!"

I flinched, swiftly turning around to the sound of the hoarse whisper. "Who's there?!" At this point, I was delirious, paranoid, and I just wanted to get the hell home.

"P-Please..." I follow the voice back to the cash register, discovering a heavily injured employee. "H-Help.. me...! Pl-please..!"

"Alright, hold on!" I recognize the man to be the same one that alerted the heroes to this location; the one that was on the phone. _He must have gotten crushed when Knitemare launched himself at me!_ "Just a second.. wait here, okay? I can't lift this rubble all by myself. I'll try to get a hero!"

He held on tightly to my arm, not willing to let go. "My legs...!" Tears streamed down his face, a pleading expression directed at me.

I bit my lip in frustration, "I-I'm sorry! I can't do anything...! I'm so sorry!"

"W-what's.. what's your.. quirk? Help me with it..!"

"I'm sorry- I don't have one," I say, "I'm quirkless. That's why- that's why I need to get a hero here now if we want you out of this!"

The man was now full-on sobbing. I only now noticed that there was a waterfall of blood soaking into his shirt from the back of his head. _Holy shit.. is he.. is he going to die?!_

"H-Hey, look! I'll get a hero here as fast as I can, okay? Walmart Aquaman mentioned he had a team, so.." I stutter. I broke out in cold sweat, slowly processing the severity of the situation. _This man is going to die because of how powerless I am. Shit!_ "S-so please..! Just hold on a little longer! I just need to-" I began to stand up until the man's hand weakly pulled on my shoe-laces.

"I-I don't think.. I.. it- it hurts too much.." his voice was now a murmur. My heart dropped to my stomach for the second time today. "I have.. a little girl..!"

 _I have a mom_.

My breath caught in my throat. From nowhere, determination drove my body to jump over the counter and began pushing on the giant rubble that trapped the man.

"W-what are you.. doing?"

I gritted my teeth and applied more pressure to my legs and arms. "What do you mean? I thought you wanted me to help you?!"

The employee laughed quietly through his tears, "T-thank you!"

After several minutes of pushing, I decided that my strength was not enough to push it off safely. If I were to just drag it off the man, his legs would suffer the damage, and it would be certain that he may never walk again. My plan was to use leverage and somehow flip the unstable debris off of him.

 _But how do I do that?_

I scan around the store quickly and spot a metal rod that fell off of one of the isles that Walmart Aquaman stood on. "This should do the trick," I run back to the register, jamming the rod in a jagged pocket under the counter. I pushed harder until it was halfway buried in the large debris. To test the waters, I gave the rod a little pull downwards and I discover that there was no way in hell I could fully topple this over.

 _That's okay. I only need a few seconds_. "Hang on, okay?" I alert the man. "Get ready to pull yourself out when I lift it." He nods, catching onto my idea, propping himself up on weak elbows. "We need both of us alive in one piece.. because we've both got someone waiting for us at home!"

Using all my body weight, I pulled down on the rod, successfully lifting the register a good several inches off the ground. The man grunted, pulling himself out in a matter of seconds before the rod bent from my weight, sending me falling on my butt.

"W-We did it!" I laugh triumphantly. Crouching down to the man, I help him on his less-injured left leg. He slung an arm around my neck, and together, we made it out of the store. "Hang on, we'll find someone who can call an ambulance for you!"

"Thank you-"

"YOU TWO! RUN AWAY! NOW!"

My head swiveled towards Walmart Aquaman's familiar voice, only to see the Knitemare's outstretched arm double in size, ready to swing in our direction. Without a second to spare, I push the injured employee down to the ground to avoid getting him caught in the attack.

It all happened in a flash. The air knocked out of me, as the nerves that traveled down my spine jolted from the pain. And then numbness. I open my eyes that I unknowingly closed out of instinct. All I could see was a black blur I assume was the villain that sent me flying a good few feet off. I turn my head upwards with strain to see who had caught me, now that I could feel their warm hands cradling my body.

"N-No way..." I laugh painfully. "You heroes... sure are.. amazing."

I let the tears roll off my cheek as the over-sized, ten foot tall bear wearing a speedo and a cape set me down on my trembling feet. "Are you in pain, girl?"

"No," I shake my head. "Thanks to you, **Animal** **God**."

"Animal God!" Walmart Aquaman called as he swung his trident towards a growing Knitemare. "Get these two civilians to safety! I did say to bring the fight back here to avoid further casualties... but I didn't think there'd be people still here!"

The bear, obviously in opposition to the idea, grunted. "This villain is starting to look like something more, boy. You need back up- you can't handle this alone!"

"Well what the hell are those two injured people supposed to do in the meantime huh?! They'll get caught up in the fight if they stay here any longer!"

I limped towards the employee, who supported himself up with shaking arms. "I can still walk," I say to Animal God, slinging the injured man's arm over my neck once more. "Do what you guys need to do. I'll get both of us out here if you cover me."

Animal God liked this idea more, poising himself in-between us and the mutating villain. "I like you, girl. I'll go with your plan!"

I silently thanked the ten foot tall bear, shielding us from Knitemare, who was only growing bigger. The reason why he was transforming was not important to me at the moment, but I had a strange feeling that it was only the beginning of something much greater and sinister.

"We're almost there!" I say, peering at the exit of the parking lot, which was a moderately busy road. "If we can get the attention of one of the drivers, hopefully they'll be willing to get us to the hospital."

The man coughed blood, "I-I can't thank you enough..! I'm indebted to you.."

 _Damn right, you are._

Finally making it to the sidewalk, I began waving my free arm at the passing cars. "Help! We need help! This man is heavily injured!" _And so am I._

Thankfully, despite the rise in crime due to the possession of quirks, people's hearts have become more sympathetic. Whether it be the understanding of fear under the power of a villain, or the unknown yearning to be like a hero, even normal civilians are more than willing to give an outstretched hand. This is exactly what happened once we stepped out of that parking lot.

Cars stopped in the middle of the road, others parked closer to us. People got out and crowded around us, some panicking and some approaching in a calm, but concerned manner. A woman with her two kids and her husband was the first to ask the question I wanted to hear, "Do you two need to go to the hospital?"

I held back tears, letting the fear and terror take over me. This was far worse than the dull, pulsating pain in my back; the feeling of being powerless under someone so terrifying. One that I did not expect to experience in my lifetime. Why did it have to happen to me?

"Yes..!" I choke on my words, wiping my cheeks. "Yes, please..!"

The woman put her hand on my back, rubbing gentle circles, only causing me to sob more. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're okay," she uttered. "You're okay now. No one can you hurt now." Her family led me to their car, her two children helping me buckle in. "Your friend is going in another car. They'll follow us on the way to the hospital, okay?"

I nodded through hiccups. "M-My mom..! I.. I want to see my mom..!"

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she gazed at me with great compassion and sympathy. "We'll get a hold of her as soon as we can, alright? Let's just get you fixed for right now."

The woman was about to shut the car door closed until the second explosion I heard that day shook my whole body down to the bone. Another wave of fear washed over me but this time, it had a different effect.

"T-The heroes! Are they okay?!" I inquired the lady, hysterical. "They need help! There's only two of them there!"

Instead of answering, the woman was frozen in place. I scanned her face and saw a pale comparison of her previously fair skin tone. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung agape. I follow her vision and saw a great, big trail of black smoke in the sky, emanating from the an orange parking lot.

The woman quickly snapped out of her stupor, shouting for her husband to get in the car. She glanced down at me, visibly upset before telling her children to strap themselves in. My heart was currently beating out of my chest.

 _What happened? What happened to the heroes?! They couldn't have... they couldn't have lost.. could they?_

"W-What happened!?" I demanded. They were now buckled themselves in the front of the car, as the husband turned the key to the ignition.

"It's alright, sweetheart, we're going to call the Pro Hero Association on the way to the hospital," the woman says, taking out her phone. "Just sit back and- hey! Wait! Where are you going?!"

I shut the car door, muting out the shouts of the family and the bystanders concerned for my safety. Hell, even I was muting my own conscience. What was I even going to do by going back there?! I'd be adding another casualty! I'm a quirkless, powerless girl who can't even make a good judgement for her life.

 _I may be quirkless, but I just saved a guy not too long ago!_ _I can be strong, too!_

No I can't! I saved a guy from a sinister cash register counter; saving heroes from a pulsating, black mass ready to explode anything in its way is a whole other story!

 ** _"I have.. a little girl..!"_**

 ** _I have a mom._**

My feet stop in place as the scene replays in my head.

 _ **"We need both of us alive in one piece.. because we've both got someone waiting for us at home!"**_

 _That's right._

 _I'm not a hero._

 _I'm on my way to my second year of high school. I have a part-time job at a plant nursery down the street of my apartment; the apartment that I share with my ill mother. How would she feel if I rushed to my death consciously? How would she feel if her quirkless daughter pretended to be something more and payed the consequences without having said one last goodbye? How selfish was I being?_

Yet standing at the mouth of the empty parking lot, staring straight into huge orange flames roaring taller than the buildings surrounding it, threatening to devour the broken heroes laying at it's feet.. all I could do was run foolishly to their aid.

 _How ready am I to die?_

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Walmart Aquaman screamed bloody murder the second he caught a glimpse of me. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! YOU'LL DIE!"

I flinched at the tone of his voice. He's right, though. I will die. "And so will you if we don't do something!" I argue, kneeling down to his side. "Where's your team? You said you had a team!"

"They're on their way! We'll take care of this! So, please..!" He pleads, grabbing me by my shoulders. "Please! Just get the hell out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you two here to die!" I shout over the flickering flames. "Animal God is already at his limits, and you can barely stand up!"

He swung an arm back and before I could react, his fist collided with my face. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! WE HELD HIM BACK SO YOU COULD ESCAPE! DON'T WASTE OUR EFFORTS!" I gasped in shock, holding my pounding cheek. "PLEASE! Please! A hero's duty is to fight and protect, always..! We already lost the fight.. don't make us lose the other!"

"W-Walmart.. Aquaman..!" I utter, on the brink of tears once more. "I-If we escape now..! Then you two will live, surely!"

"If we leave now, who will keep him here?" He stands up, turning back to the flames, trident in hand. "You're a smart, strong girl. Please choose the right decision here!"

I sobbed into my sleeves, taking several hesitant steps back. "I-I.. I just don't want anyone to die!" I cry.

He glances back, giving me a sad smile. "You're a good girl. Don't worry; my colleagues will arrive shortly with backup. We'll survive if we can hold out for that long. Just please- escape now- UHG-"

"Walmart Aquaman!" I scream as a phantom arm emerged from the flames- the same one that sent me flying- collided with the hero's face. He flew back and crashed into the wall of the market.

"Shit!" Animal God hacked, supporting himself on trembling knees. "Go, girl! You have no place here!" His fur expanded three times the size of his body, acting as a shield that blocked the mutated Knitemare from coming in contact with me.

Despite wanting to come back with both of the heroes, I decided that I was foolish to think that I could do anything with my quirkless hands. Staying here would only put one more burden on their shoulders. I had to leave them.

Watching the battle intently over my shoulders as I ran away, I witnessed Animal God take several hits from the arm, only moving back a couple inches. _Figured. His body was made explicitly for defense_. Aquaman fell to his knees from the indentation in the cement wall, throwing up a good amount of blood and vomit. Guilt, anger and pity ate away at my heart and threatened to stop my legs from escaping.

 _I can't! I can't stop now!_

Knitemare has now fully emerged from the flames; his body dotted with large, mutated tumors, and his arm grew in size and speed. Judging from the look of his face and the dull color in his eyes, this was no longer the villain I encountered from the store. This was a whole different being!

Animal God, at the last of his wit, slowly retracted his fur. His legs and arms were convulsing and jerking in what I assumed to be unimaginable pain after taking so many hits from the villain. There was no way he could continue to fight. There was no way they could win.

This was power.

It towered over me and I now know how unbelievably dumb I was to think I had any say here.

Knitemare raised his arm over his head, ready to swing it down on the broken hero to finish him off. But before I could scream his name, Walmart Aquaman gained a surge of energy and successfully blocked the attack with his trident. He stood there, over his friend with shaky legs, holding off the arm that would decide their fates.

"What.. are you..?!" He hacks, blood spurting out from his mouth.

The villain ceased communication and again, raised his arm in the air. My blood ran cold, and my feet stopped in their tracks.

 _No way_.

It seems the heroes both expected what was to come. They opened their eyes wide and smiled a big smile, directed towards the villain. It reminded me vaguely of All Might's signature fixed expression; it was as if they were giving a nod to the Symbol of Peace.

"Y-You guys..!" I cry into my hands in anticipation. "Don't die..! Why.. why are you giving up now..?"

The seconds passed by excruciatingly slowly as the arm was brought down once more, breaking the trident. My heart stopped at that moment; immense anger and rage overtook my emotions.

 _Heroes aren't supposed to give up! Heroes are supposed to fight and protect! So why.. why are they just standing there smiling?!_

I took a deep breath, taking a step forwards. All my tangled emotions were overwhelming, and I wanted nothing more than to let it out. Even if it meant bringing attention to myself, if I can buy a few more seconds for those two...!

" **YOU TOOK AN OATH TO PROTECT ME!** " I screamed with all my being. "I'M RIGHT HERE! I'M GOING TO DIE NEXT! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?!" I choked on my tears, overflowing from my eyes. The heroes lazily glanced at me with astonished faces. " **GET UP AND FUCKING FIGHT!** "

At that instance, a warm glow enveloped my heart and my body. My hands grew warm and the red in my vision dissipated due to the instantaneous serenity. The heroes now held a ball of light in their bodies and it grew bigger by the second. It all disappeared as fast as it came the second I blinked my eyes. I shook it off, chalking it up to hallucinations from my concussion and looked back up to the heroes.

To my surprise, Animal God was now standing on his feet, and Walmart Aquaman was poised in a fighting stance.

"I don't know what you just did," Walmart Aquaman shouts to me, "But well said!"

"This is kind of embarrassing. We're supposed to be the heroes here!" Animal God laughed heartily. "Lets finish this fight quickly, boy. I've got taiyaki waiting for me at home!"

Knitemare ignored everything that just occured, seemingly focused on destroying anything in his immediate path. He swung his deadly arm down on Animal God, who quickly activated his fur defense mechanism, while Walmart Aquaman, with his broken trident, jumped behind the villain. Knitemare pivoted on his feet and roundhouse kicked the latter hero, but he was quick to dodge, planting the trident straight into the villain's heart.

"Lets keep this up for as long as we can, boy!" Animal god declared, "We know that one stab won't be enough-" He was interrupted by Knitemare screaming in agony as his body hit the ground with an unsatisfying ump. "What?!"

"With one hit!" Walmart Aquman exclaimed, pulling out his trident. "But it didn't work the first time!"

"It must be the girl," the bear noted. "My fur defense was also twice as thick as it used to be."

I stood by; an onlooker to the fight. It was finished rather quickly, despite their previous defeat. Now, they were gathered together, speaking to themselves.

There were many questions I wanted answered, and more that I wanted to ask. But at that moment, the only thing I could feel was the weight lifted off my shoulders. I wasn't a hero. I didn't fight. But I knew that if those two were going to die, I was going to die with them. Call it foolishness or naivety, but there was a feeling in my gut that just wouldn't settle down.

Even now, it was in a frenzy.

 _Actually, I don't feel too good_.

My whole body was in turmoil and at the same time, it dropped from.. exhaustion? Today _has_ been a hectic day. I needed some well-deserved rest. The heroes can handle it from here. So I guess...

 _I'll just go to sleep_.

Then everything went black.

* * *

 **Hey. One last thing, I'm not sure how often I'll update. Things will continue like this at a sort of slow pace, if you don't mind.**

 **Feel free to leave a feedback. AND also suggestions of OC hero names for random characters that pop up.**

 **Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is little sappy, and I want you to know that it's meant to be. Enjoy :)**

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" _Yes, it seems she's..._ "

" _How is that ..ssible_? _She's been ...less all ... life!_ "

That voice; so familiar... so warm.

 _Mother... is it morning already?_

That can't be. _I_ _need to cook breakfast!_

"Mikan? Oh! She's waking up!" Mother exclaims, clamping down on my arm. "Sweetheart, how are you feeling?! You had me worried sick!"

A bright light that met my lidded eyes stung it mildly, telling me that I've been out for quite a while. Why I was out like a light, I don't seem to remember. But all I knew was that my body felt like lead, my head throbbed in pain, and my mom was sobbing at my bedside. She held my forearm with a weak, shaky hand, the other holding back her cries.

 _Why are you crying?_ _What happened to me?_

"Let's see here," an unfamiliar voice spoke to me. "Can you speak? How are you feeling?"

 _A doctor..._ _?_ I notice a bleach white lab coat donned by an old man with a bowl cut. He had a stethoscope slung around his neck, his hand holding a slim, white pen that emitted light from one end. After a few seconds passed, he jotted down something on his clipboard, turning to my mom.

"It looks as if she's in a state of dysphoria," he says, "It's to be expected. Her concussion was nothing to laugh at, and her lungs were on the brink of collapsing. I'm surprised she woke up so soon."

I furrowed my brows in confusion. His words went in one ear and out the other. Although I could catch a few words, it sounded as if he was talking gibberish.

"Are you able to speak?" He says more slowly. I open my mouth, but the aching of my throat that I only now noticed stopped me from making even a squeak. "I see. Well that's alright. Please avoid speaking for now then." He picked up his clipboard once more and scribbled.

I turn to my mom; she looked absolutely dreadful. Her graying hair was in a knotted bun, dark bags hung from her eyes and her lips were chapped. She held a damp tissue in one hand, having soaked up as much as it can of her tears.

 _I did this to her._

I wanted to apologize; to tell her I'm sorry I never came home. Making her worry was the last thing I wanted to do. But from the look in her eyes, I could tell she had already forgiven me a long time ago.

What even happened and how I came to be in this hospital bed remained a nagging mystery. I wanted to remember but at the same time, I wanted to forget and keep it forgotten. An ominous gut-feeling told me that if I were to recollect the events that sent me to this bed, my whole life would change as I know it.

 _Or this sick feeling could be a side effect of this pain_. I really hoped it was the latter.

The doctor continued with his routine checkup, ordering me to follow his pen light as it slowly maneuvered across my vision. He briefly looked into both of my ears before checking my heartbeat and my blood pressure.

The whole time, I thought of nothing but trying to keep my repressed memories repressed. I don't want to remember. I don't want any part of it. _I don't want to feel that unspeakable fear anymore._

"You're all good for now," the doctor finishes, pulling off his gloves and disposing of them. "Call yourself lucky, miss. You surprisingly took less damage than it looks."

I nodded weakly. _I didn't want to know what caused that damage_.

He continued, "But there is one other thing I wanted to discuss."

My stomach dropped. The sick feeling doubled over and this time, it reached my chest to my heart. Why was I so afraid?

"Now, miss, I already went over it briefly with your mother," he motioned to her. "But I also wanted to tell you this as soon as you woke up. You can make anything you want of it, but I understand if it comes as a shock."

My mom leaned forwards, cupping my face with a forced smile. "You have a quirk, sweetheart! A quirk!" My eyes widened in disbelief. "Isn't that wonderful?"

 _No way._

 _No way._

 _How is that possible...?!_

 _I'm quirkless!_

The doctor, noticing my visible shock upon the news, approached closer on his office chair. "I know what you're thinking. I'll expand on this, if you don't mind." I nod hesitantly, signaling him to continue. I was completely thrown off; this was the last thing I expected to hear. I more or less anticipated the news of my approaching death. Not... This.

"You see, as a child, no discernible abilities could be identified in you at time, so you were diagnosed as quirkless," he explains. "Such a thing was uncommon, but not unheard of. That was clearly a professional mistake," he says, shaking his head sternly. "Your quirk, that you had all along, did not produce any physical results, according to eye witness testimony. And so its safe to assume that your quirk itself, in any way, cannot manifest a physical form.

These instances are classified in a category of quirks that is troublesome to pinpoint. Yours especially, much more difficult."

 _Eye.. witnesses?_

My mom opened her mouth to speak, "But why did it take so long to show itself? If my daughter's quirk is what you say it is, then it should have affected me a long time ago!"

 _Wait- what exactly is my quirk?_

"Actually, I'd like to know your quirk if you don't mind, ma'am."

"Oh, um- well, to tell you the truth, mine is a bit similar to what you just described," she mutters, looking down at her hands. "I used to be able to make anyone I touch see things I wanted to them to; in essence, hallucinations."

The doctor sat up with an inquisitive look, "Used to?"

"Yes. Although these days, I use my quirk sparingly, now, I don't have to make physical contact at all. Just a glance will do."

"Since when exactly did that change?"

Mother thought for a second before her eyes widened. She looked at me, astonishment dancing in her eyes, before saying: "When my little girl was born."

 _Huh...?_

I furrowed my brows at my mom, urging her to explain what the hell was happening. What does her quirk have to do with me? How did mine keep itself hidden for so long? What exactly don't I know?!

"I see," the Doctor says to himself. "My previous theory was wrong then." He looks to me, understanding that my ignorance to the situation frustrated me to no end. "Miss, I had thought that your quirk remained dormant. Its extremely rare, but not entirely inconceivable. I was mistaken."

"S-so does this mean.. that she's been using it without her knowledge all along?"

"It could be. But we should also take into consideration that you've spent years together, so its effects on you might be different than say, a passerby happening to be in her vicinity." The doctor picked up his clipboard, scribbling something out before jotting down more words. "I'll send with you a full disclosure on the matter," he nods to me. "But I'm afraid I know as much as you do about your ability. As far as the quirk database goes, you're the first to have this particular one."

Mother and I looked at each other, uneasy. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Don't get me wrong, having a quirk is wonderful. And if I wasn't feeling like shit right now, I'd be jumping off the walls. Yet my gut is forcing me to second-guess this. _Why am I so disturbed?_

"For now, we'll call this: **Amplification**."

 _Amplification...?_

"The ability to boost another's quirk," the doctor continued on his clipboard. "Surely, you'll find great use with this one-of-a-kind power."

 _This is.. my quirk?_

"It suits you," my mom comments, cupping my cheeks lovingly. "A kind quirk for my kind daughter.

Truly a power fit for my hero."

* * *

I look down at my hands in awe. _I have a quirk... and that quirk was especially made to help other quirks?_ My heart swayed between disappointment and euphoria. I'd be lying if I said the reveal of my quirk wasn't anti-climatic. My quirk itself was rather insignificant enough to go unnoticed, but voicing my thoughts out loud would be selfish of me. This ability was the result of my beloved mother's and father's love.

I can't take it for granted.

My mom put a hand on my knee, smiling warmly. She had set a warm glass of milk by my bedside to chase away my restlessness. The look on her face told me that she knew exactly what I was thinking and feeling at the moment. She always did.

"I know you probably don't remember, sweetheart. The doctor said you wouldn't; your head was hit pretty badly," she says in a quiet whisper. She leaned down close to me, "Your quirk is special. Don't let anyone tell yourself otherwise, even yourself."

I pursed my lips, looking away in shame. Against my better judgement, I decided to say what I was thinking, "It's... so small. It can't even protect me," I mutter, my eyes wandering to the bandages on my stomach.

My mom studied me intently, tilting her head to the side to get a better view of my face. "But you already saved so many people.."

 _What?_

 _I... did?_ _My quirk saved people?_

"What do you mean, mom?" I ask. I was about to pry more, specifically about the occurrence that injured me this badly, but I decided to stay quiet. I didn't want to know. Not yet. Not now.

She motioned to my study table on the other wall where a lonely balloon hovered with a little present attached at the end of the string. She graciously cradled it in her hands and set it on my lap. "A little girl visited you with her father the other day while you were still unconscious. She wanted to give this to you."

 _ **"I have.. a little girl..!"**_

My heart skipped a beat and I quickly pull my hands away from the box out of instinct. I sent an alarmed look to my mother who nodded and set the present back on the table. I did not want to open it. Every fiber of my being jolted in fear under the threat of remembering my lost memories.

"You just take all the time you need, sweetheart," my mom snapped me out of my stupor. "You may be well enough to have gotten discharged from the clinic, but you're still in a pretty bad shape yourself. Rest for now."

For once, I agreed. I didn't like the idea of going to bed before my mom, but the last thing I needed was to stay awake and let my thoughts wander. Anything.. anything at all to keep from remembering. I'll keep running away for as long as I can.

No matter what it takes.

.

I was awoken suddenly by an echoing bell that gradually faded out. I knew that sound. I recognized it. It was the apartment doorbell.

 _The doorbell?_

 _The doorbell.._

 _THE DOORBELL!_

"SHIT!" I bolted up from under my covers, sprinting to the living room. I can't let the bell wake up my mom- it must be at the break of dawn right now! _Who the hell is at the door?!_

The second I arrived at the living room, warm, bright sunshine hit my skin, stopping me in my tracks. The sun has already risen considerably high in the sky; it filled me with dread and a tinge of disappointment in myself. I've come to realize that, I, Mikan, overslept.

"Sweetheart! You're awake!" my mom lit up, closing the apartment door after several guests had invited themselves in.

I paid no heed to them; I was too busy muttering to myself in agitation, "I never oversleep- I've changed.. I can't recognize myself anymore..! Who the hell am I..?!"

"Mikan, sweetie, it's only 10 AM. Don't beat yourself up over it," my mom giggles into her hand, finding amusement in my distressed state. She motioned for the guests to settle themselves on our sofa, to which they obliged.

"And my own mother had woken up before me.. I've failed as a daughter!" I grab the wall nearest wall dramatically, to which she sighs.

All jokes aside, the confusion, my exhaustion, and the shock of yesterday's events took a large toll on me. My whole body was in frenzy; my emotions and physical well-being was too overwhelming.

 _And now..._

I take a glance at the unexpected guests- they stared back.

 _And now, there are people I vaguely recognize on my living room sofa._

I knew.

I knew what they were here for.

And I didn't like it.

"Come, take a seat with us," my mom wrapped a blanket around my nearly bare figure, only donning an over-sized shirt and sleep shorts. "There's a lot of things we need to discuss."

 _Shit...! My mom's in on it too!_

I hesitantly approached them. I faintly remember two out of the four heroes- instances of their faces flashed through my head. Walmart Aquaman, in the middle, and Animal God, to his right. _I've met these two before, but..._ I turn to the third and fourth hero, sitting on the adjacent sofa. _Those two.. I don't think I've met_.

"D-Do we have to do this now?" I ask meekly. "I just woke up and everything's still a little fuzzy."

Walmart Aquaman was the first to speak, "I'd like to have the chance to meet and talk to you before we leave town." I nod slowly, sitting down with caution. "To tell you the truth, we're just passing by on our way to Kyoto; we're way out of our jurisdiction, and handling that fight was a spur of the momen-"

"Walmart!" a woman snapped. She was one of the heroes I hadn't met before; donning a tight, midnight blue bodysuit and large, white gloves.

 _She's **Misty Manta**..! _A hero capable of ejecting fog and mist from her palms. Her specialty lies in fazing the enemy and making the immediate area her territory.

"Oh- right," Walmart Aquaman caught himself. "Sorry about that. Your mother says that you currently don't remember anything." I shook my head. He caught the uncertainty in my eyes and gave an understanding smile, "Well that's alright. It'll all eventually come back to you, and hopefully by then.. you'd have an answer to our proposition."

 _An answer.. to their proposition?_

"I'm not sure if you remember us, girl," Animal God spoke up this time, "But-"

"No- I.. I remember," I interrupt. "Kind of."

"I see. This will make things easier then. There are two reason why we came here," he continues. "The first is to give our gratitude. Even if you have forgotten, we want you to know that you saved our lives out there. We are deeply indebted to you; more than you know."

At this, my mom puts her hand on top of mine, giving it a light squeeze. I remember back to last night, when she said the same thing.

 _Aside from the little girl.. I saved heroes too?!_

"That's unnecessary..." I reply quietly, "Whatever I did, I was probably not thinking straight. I don't deserve your praise-"

"Nonsense!" Animal God argues. "If it had not been for you, Walmart and I would be nothing but ashes in the wind!"

 _Ashes..?_ "O-Oh.. right," I look down. It was only now that I payed close attention to them did I notice how much worse their shape was compared to me. They must've fought hard. Harder than I did, at least. _They deserved all the credit._

"There are things that is better left unsaid for now," Walmart Aquaman stated. "If I go on, you will be left confused and we don't want that, do we?" I shook my head. "So lets move on."

"It's about your quirk," Misty Manta picks up, "I'm sure the doctor have already explained to you what is currently known. You were able to boost Walmart's and Animal God's quirk, causing them to turn tables and win the fight, from what I heard.

Its a potent power, and thanks to you, we avoided casualties."

"You'll be able to make more sense of it when you recollect your memories," Walmart says, "For now, we want to make a proposition."

"A proposition?"

"Yes, we already spoke to your mother last week at the hospital. We figured it would be best to leave the decision to you."

I gave a cautious glance at my mother who was nodding along to his every word. "If it has anything to do with my quirk, I don't think I'll be very useful. I pretty much only discovered it not too long ago.. I can't handle it yet."

My only thought was that they wanted me to join their team. I understood that an Amplification quirk was not very useful for a direct offensive, but if I were to stand on the sidelines and support the team from there, it'll be a power put to good use. _But I'm not cut out to be a hero_. _I'm not that kind of person_.

"We understand. That's why we hope that from here on, you will continue to nurture and train your power," Misty Manta insisted. "It really is a one of a kind ability; one that can save many lives."

 _A power.. fit for a hero. Only except I'm not one._

"I appreciate your faith in me," I smile hesitantly. "I'll definitely work to become stronger. Eventually.."

"Of course! But the best results will be hard to attain," Animal God adds. "Your true power can be brought out much more effectively if you receive help from-"

"Alright, I'm sorry!" I intervene. I found my hands wanting to clutch tightly onto the blanket around me; my heart beat with anxiousness in the midst of my outburst. They were expecting too much of me. "I know what you're going to say! You want me to become a hero right?" I look up, brows furrowed in doubt. "But if you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of weak.. I'm not strong at all. I-I... I can't become a hero..!

I'm not made to be one..."

Animal God and Walmart Aquaman took a second before looking at each other quizzically. The latter turned to me- his expression stirring up questions in my head.

"But you already are!"

My resolve faltered at those words.

 _That's right... I've saved people. I don't exactly know how or why.. but doesn't that sort of make me a hero?_

I internally slap myself. _No! I can't! There's no way.. I'd be eaten alive out there!_

"Everything you were that day is what we all strive to be," Walmart Aquaman adds. "I know that you don't remember- and judging from the looks of it, you probably don't want to." I looked up and took in the smile that adorned his face; a determination that towered over mine. Yet he's saying that he wanted to be.. like me? "But when you cried and demanded us to fight- not to give up, not even caring for your own well-being.. even now, it gives me goosebumps. Those are all the traits of a hero!"

"Girl," Animal God catches my attention, pulling out a manila envelope. "Read this over and please, consider it."

I took the envelope despite my heart pleading against it. Bold words that stopped my breathing and squeezed my stomach was written plainly on the back.

 **U.A. Academy**

"U... A... HIGH?!" I jump up from my seat, the blanket falling to my feet. I sent a hysterical look to my mother and the heroes that observed me. "W-WHAT- I- WHAT?!"

 _NO FUCKING WAY!_

 _THEY DON'T EXPECT ME TO ENROLL THERE, DO THEY?!_

"I understand that this came out of the left field," Walmart Aquaman says. "But I believe that you and your quirk will find opportunities that you deserve there. I guarantee it."

"N-NO WAY!" I screech, pushing the letter back into their hands.

"But-"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE THE TUITION IS?!"

The heroes faces vaulted in surprise while my mom behind me stifled her giggles.

"I don't mean to be rude," I rambled, pacing back and forth, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, really, I do! But you heroes may not understand how the tight a normal civilian's pockets are! We can't cash out a check for every person we save- unlike you-"

"Sweetheart, sweetheart," my mom laughs, gently sitting me back down. "Let them continue."

"W-Well, um," Misty Manta clears her throat, regaining her composure, "This is envelope only contains information essential to know about the academy and what to look forward to, as well as what is needed to know before taking the entrance exam. But the thing is, that last part is not needed."

Walmart Aquaman continues, "We're all more than willing to submit recommendations for you- all four of us. With that, they'll have no choice but to place you as top priority. You won't need to go through with the entrance exam at all."

"We will also submit a special course admission for you," Animal God offers. "It will give you more time and more opportunities to polish your quirk to the fullest extent."

"Its a free ride, sweetheart," my mom chimes in. She gives me a gentle, hopeful smile. "This is a one in a lifetime chance!"

My heart ached; I knew what she wanted for me. I already knew her stance on this; I could tell by that smile. She always insisted that I fly away, no matter how cheesy it sounded when she said it.

 _And now.. here's my chance to._ I look down at the letter.

"Its a boarding school," I mutter.

"It is," she replies. She set a hand on my back and rubbed it affectionately. "You'll have your own place! Isn't that exciting?"

 _I see that you've.. already decided for me._

"I apologize for being so sudden," Animal God huffs, standing up. He was forced to slouch after hitting the ceiling rather harshly when he came in. "Please do think about it. This is of the utmost importance. Oh, and another letter should arrive in a few days when we a green light from the academy. The choice will come down to you."

Misty Manta crouched down on her knee and grabbed my hands. She looked in me dead in the eyes with an expression I can only describe as relentless, "You and your quirk cannot be kept inside these four walls. It's meant to be out there- There are people out there who _need_ you!"

Walmart pulled a protesting Misty away and headed for the door. Mother opened it and gave them a warm smile, waving goodbye. My thoughts on this were still skeptical, but I can say for sure that I'm feeling a lot worse than I did this morning.

 _I don't know what to think now_. _I want to go back to sleep_.

Walmart turned to me one last time, "Heroes fight and protect, always. And you did exactly that on that day. Regardless, whatever your choice is, we'll respect it."

* * *

Just like Animal God had said, an official letter did arrive shortly; approximately a week later. My mom was both anxious and full of excitement as I peeled off the red wax seal. It was what I expected to be: a letter of acceptance. I don't know why I was hoping for something else.

Although my heart raced faster as I registered each word, my attitude to this was completely different from a week ago.

I remembered.

I remembered now.

What had occurred to make me so wounded- so sensitive to fear and the unknown. I can't deny that having gone through what I did, I definitely did deserve this. But that doesn't make me any more valid to start pretending to be strong. Because I wasn't.

 _I can't be a hero_.

 _I know I can't._

"Mom," I mutter, turning to her. She held both her hands to her chest with an optimistic smile. _She wants me to accept it. I know she does._ _I know why_. "Remember.. how weak I was just two weeks ago?" She nods, her smile slowly falling. "My body was at its limits. That's- that's how fragile I am.. I can't afford to overestimate myself. I'm not like them."

"Shhh, shhh," she hums, cupping my face. Her expression was nothing but warm and inviting, yet it sparked an ember of anger in me. "Come, sit down. Sit!" I sigh, obliging. It was no use arguing with her. I sat down beside her on our sofa as she gently cradled my left hand in hers.

"Mom-"

"Mikan. Ever since you were born," she started with a soft whisper, "I knew- I just knew that you were different. I always knew you were different."

I bit the inside of my cheek as a single tear rolled off my mom's face. _Shit..! She's getting emotional again._

A pang in my heart told me cry with her but I was too absorbed in my silent shock; I've actually never seen her sad. Anxious, yes, but like this..? Never in my life have I seen her so... vulnerable.

Its kind of terrifying.

Right now she sobbed quietly, trying to find the words as she clutched my hand. For how long has this issue haunted her thoughts?

"Mom..." I whimper. "Do you really.. expect me to leave you?"

"Yes!" she shot back, taking me by surprise. "You.. you can't rot away in this apartment with me! I won't allow it!"

I was speechless.

I didn't even realize that I was holding my breath until my lungs screamed to fill it with air.

These were the thoughts that occupied my mom's head. This was what she wanted for me. And here I was, thinking that we were content with our quiet life. I was clearly mistaken.

She chokes back her tears, continuing, "Ever since you were a little girl, I knew you were going to leave me someday and become someone amazing. You belong somewhere else, Mikan." She wipes her tears with the back of her hand, "Not here."

I retract my hand, holding it close to me. I knew she wanted the best for me, but it still hurt to hear her telling me to leave; the last person I'd expect to hear it from. "I- I don't know what to say," I utter under my breath. Tears welled up in my eyes but I knew better than to release them. I don't want her more stressed that she is now. She's already looked so weary.

My mom the most important thing in the world to me, and here I was convincing myself that it would be in my best interest to leave her; that it would be the best for the both of us. Why am I even considering it?

Mother pat me on my shoulder before leaving to retrieve something in my room. She later came back with the little box I recognize to be the present I forgot on my table. "Here, open this," she says, handing me the present.

I look to her, my heart breaking. The frenzied sensation returned. _If I open this box..._

"Mom... if I open this box, my decision-..." I breathed, "I know what my decision will be." She nods, letting her tears fall once more. "I'll have to leave you, you know? I'll be far away..." She nods once more, biting her bottom lip. "I won't.. I won't be able to make you breakfast anymore..!" She was now sobbing, but a smile was drawn poorly on her petite face. "Okay then."

I let my fingers loosen the ribbon before tearing apart the wrapper piece by piece. Each action wore down my resolve to stay here; it made me absolutely sick.

The box came apart and out fell a woven, white bracelet, a folded note and a small picture. I hesitantly open the note, taking in the words slowly.

It was a letter from the daughter of that man, written in bright pink marker.

She thanked me a hundred times over for saving her father, having drawn a little sketch of me wearing a cape. I smile despite my heart twisting. As each second passed, my decision dawned over me. I knew what I had to do. And although my mother was right beside me, she was slowly, but surely drifting further away from my reach.

My resolve was set the second I took a glimpse of the photo. The little girl and the man from the market smiled widely, gazing at me. They were so happy... And I was too.

They were alive.

"You see?" mother says, "This doesn't have to be a sad thing. Why can't it be a celebration?"

I gave up, letting the knowing thought of soon departing fill my head. _She's right. I'm making this harder than it has to be. Leaving mom.. it was bound to happen_.

I just didn't expect it to be like this.

"You're their hero," mom smiles, "And you're always be mine as well."

* * *

 **Hey.**

 **I'm sorry if this chapter was so sappy.**

 **I mean its 100% meant to be. I can't even imagine leaving my mom like this, especially if she's ill. I'd ugly cry until I'm dehydrated.**

 **Also, I know I switch between mom and mother a lot. The reason being, if I use one word exclusively, it'll become too repetitive and it ends up not sounding right.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I forgot to put a disclaimer on the first chapter so I'll do it here:**

 **DISCLAIMER : Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia and its characters (aside from the OC) do not belong to me. Please continue to support the original author of the series, Kohei Horikoshi, by purchasing copies of the manga and merchandise alike. **

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

The weeks passed by faster than I hoped they would. With each day that came and went, the date of the departure loomed nearer. I was tempted to change my decision the last minute, but I knew that would only inconvenience everybody, not to mention disappoint my mother. She was excited for me; that I had the chance to achieve greater things rather than stay holed up in that rotting apartment with her.

I remembered her telling me that before I boarded the plane. I cried on the spot, and she did, too.

The thing is, I didn't mind my life like it was. It was average; perfect for an average person, I told her. She wouldn't have it, and I guess the universe wouldn't either.

With no other choice than to face the consequences and take the risk, I swallowed my doubts and approached the eye-catching, iron archway up ahead. It had the letters: **UA** slapped on dead center, confirming that I was in the right place. I pinched the skin on my wrists one last time just in case it was a dream all along.

No luck.

I take a deep inhale, letting my eyes wander up to the UA symbol.

 _Alright... I can do this! I can totally do this!_

 _Wait- can I? What if they don't like me? What if there's some sort of newbie crushing every year- I'LL DIE-_

 _Okay, stop. I've gone over this. It's too late to turn back now; lets just get this over with! What's the worse that can happen?_

"How the hell did this happen..?!" I hiss to myself, taking big strides towards the gate. "I swear I was just going to get groceries, and now I'm at this schoo- GAHH!"

Distracted with my internal conflict, I failed to notice a metal, ominous lining in the ground that suddenly shot up a heavily built barricade. The sound alone sent me back a whole feet out of surprise. I calm myself for the time being, scanning over the new obstacle in my path. It completely sealed the once-opened entranceway: a clear-as-day sign that I was not welcome.

Standing in the street, stiff as a board, my previous troubled emotions turned to one of confusion.

Does the universe want me to go to UA or not?

"Wait.." I stop myself. _This is a good thing..! This way, I won't have to go to school at all! I can tell my mom that they won't even let me set foot on the campus!_

I sigh. _No I can't do that._ _Shit..._

My eyes go over the barricade once more, "How do I get past this, then?"

In the midst of my contemplation, the gate suddenly opened, revealing a standing block of cement.. with eyes and a mouth.. and clothes.

 _It's the pro hero: **Cementoss**!_

"Who are you?" he inquires, eyes opening to inspect my appearance. He was obviously interested as to why I was wearing a UA uniform. I take it he's an instructor here.

I nod my head politely before speaking, "Hi, my name is Hachimitsu Mikan. I'm actually new here but.. I.." I direct uncertain eyes towards the gate.

"I see," Cementoss mutters, catching on. He dips his hand into his pocket and fishes a little card out, "The principal mentioned you would be enrolling today." He comes closer and hands me the card. "Welcome."

It was a Special Entry Permission ID, supposedly allowing me to enter without the barricades reacting. I clutch the card tightly, following the retreating Pro Hero. _So they just hand out these cards to anyone outside claiming to be a student? Isn't that dangerous..?_

"You had quite the predicament not too long ago, did you not? I commend you for standing your ground," Cementoss suddenly speaks up. He turns and catches my ' _how did you know_ ' look, adding, "I read the disclosure on you. On behalf of Walmart Aquaman and his team, I thank you."

My cheeks grew warm by the second; I was at a loss of words. Now heroes like Cementoss are praising me? Their expectations of me are only rising, and that's not a good thing. "I-It's no problem," I stutter, embarrassed.

He nods, pausing. Stopping as well, I only now noticed the lofty building that lie ahead. It soared into the clouds, blocking the sun and preventing the cherry blossom trees that lined the pathway from getting sunlight. There were three large doors at its foot, numbered 1 through 3 respectively. I approached the door numbered **2** , assuming that it was separated by years.

"Hold on," Cementoss sets a hand on my shoulder. "You should visit the principal first to introduce yourself. Class won't start for another hour."

"Of course! Where is he, may I ask?"

The pro hero points past me to a pathway that circled around the building. "If you follow that, you'll end up at the school office. He should be there."

I nod, waving goodbye to the cement man. I thought that he would have escorted me there, but I suppose pro heroes are kind of busy.

The walk to the office was a serene one. Given that its spring, the cherry blossoms surrounded me, easing my pounding heart just a tad bit. There was a lot weighing on my shoulders; partly my fault for creating unnecessary scenarios that only dug the hole of anxiety deeper. But who could blame me? Any regular, _normal_ person forced to attend such an ambitious school would feel the same way.

At this point, the last thing I was worried about was getting out-shined, forgotten or even bullied.

I didn't want to come home to my mother without a diploma.

But apparently, I wasn't wrong to be so apprehensive.

This place was crawling with amazing Pro Heroes; hell, even the receptionist of the school office was a pro hero herself!

I stare in awe at the sight before me: _breasts_. The one and only 18+ only heroine, **Midnight** , gazed back with a raised eyebrow. She donned a rather inappropriate outfit for school; a leotard that highlighted her _plump_ assets. _H-How is this even allowed?_

"Can I help you?"

I shook off my astonishment, handing her the ID card Cementoss had given me. "Yes, I'm a new-"

She unexpectedly interrupted me with her pointer finger, turning away rather rudely, "Aw, are you leaving now Recovery Girl?"

Frowning, I follow her gaze to a cute, little lady at the other end of the room. She had an equally small, pink suitcase in one hand and she was quickly approaching. I fully turned to her, bowing a hello to which she smiles back warmly.

"We'll be lonely without you!" Midnight pouts.

The old woman laughs heartily, "I will return in a few days time. Make sure that none of the students gets too heavily injured while I'm gone," she then turns to me, pointing a finger, "and that includes you!" I nod earnestly, completely missing her joke. With one last goodbye, she finally exits the office, leaving Midnight and I alone.

"Where is she going?" I let slip from my mouth.

"That's not for you to worry about," Midnight replies. I smack myself internally. "Now, you're Hachimitsu-chan, right?" She confirms, typing away on her desktop. "Hachimitsu... how sweet! Like honey!" **[Hachimitsu actually means honey]**

I blush, scratching the back of my head sheepishly, "Um, yeah. Some of my friends back home actually call me Hani."

She stares for a few second, sending me into a panic attack before her eyes grew hearts and she was squealing like a school girl. "I like it!" My face only grew redder; I wasn't so good with compliments. "Alright, Hani-chan. What do we have here for you..?" she mutters to herself. "We don't usually get transfers past the first year, so the school board had to improvise."

I nod along. _It's not like I wanted to transfer myself._

Midnight continues, "Looks like you'll be in Class 2-A.. and your homeroom teacher is.. Eraserhead.. again?" she says, a hint of surprise eminent in her voice. She peered at the desktop before giggling. "That man is too soft; he's gotten attached to his kids!"

I could feel a tinge of happiness growing in my heart. By the sound of it, my teacher seems to be a pleasant man and kind to his students.

The woman then takes the ID card I set on the desk, giving me a smile, "We should have your personal student ID prepared by the end of the day, so make sure to come back here after classes are over, alright?" I nod, making a mental note to circle back when the day is over. "And the principal actually wanted to talk to you before you head back to homeroom."

I point at the end of the hallway that was connected to the main office, "Is his room down that way?"

"No, sweetheart, he's currently in the conference room with your homeroom teacher," she tears off a pink sticky note and jots down what I assume to be directions. "Make sure to get there quickly; they wanted to talk to you before the bell rings."

I say my thanks, rushing out of the office. The sticky note directed me to a flight of stairs that led to the second floor of the attached building. My heart convulsed with each step I took.

 _This is real. This is about to be a real thing..!_ _I'm actually attending UA! And I'm meeting my principal and my teacher.. holy shit!_

Whether it was a dream or a nightmare, I couldn't decide. The gleaming, spotless halls and the massive windows overlooking the courtyard were nothing like the previous school I had attended. This place boasted both power, riches and zeal; none of which I had in me.

.

Surprisingly, I didn't get lost in the maze of hallways, arriving at the designated location with ease. A large door that was labeled the conference room separated me from the two distinct voices speaking inside. _My teacher and my principal.. are just on the other side of this door!_

I brought my hands to my left breast, clutching my heart in an attempt to calm down before presenting myself. The first impression was of the utmost importance, and I should make a damn good one if I were to hope to even have a single chance of surviving at this school.

 _Alright.. I can do this! I've gone this far..!_

I positioned my curled fist parallel to the wooden door, taking one last breath before knocking. "Excuse me!" I called, my small voice wavering. "It's Hachimitsu Mikan."

"Come in!"

I warily slide the door open, eyes fixed on the ground. I swear that my heartbeat was audible to even anybody in the vicinity. Without sparing a second to look up, I politely bowed to the two occupants of the room.

"Hello Hachimitsu-san," a high-pitched, meek voice greeted me. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine!" I hastily reply. I look up slightly through my hair, my eyes landing on two rather eccentric individuals.

One was a slender man, fully clothed in all black. A long, drooping scarf hugged him from the base of his neck to the tips of his shoulders; his black, unruly hair hung low on his face. Now that I take a closer look, his facial hair was also just as unkempt, if not more. He studied me with half-lidded eyes and a set frown.

The other occupant on the sofa across from the previous man was not human. It was a cat-.. no a dog.. or it could be mouse..? It wore human clothes; a suit vest and large shoes. A scar ran down his eyes and a wide smile was painted on his face, directed at me.

 _W... What the.._

 _W-Which one is my principal and which one is my teacher_ _?_

Either choice equally frightened me.

The man in all black sighed, his frown arching deeper. "Were you not taught manners? It's not polite to stare."

I quickly snapped myself out of my thoughts, standing up as straight as I could. "I-I'm sorry! I'm Hachimitsu Mikan- I'm a new student here. Nice to meet you!" _God, I hope he's not the principal! Or worse: my teacher!_

"Hachimitsu-san, this man is your homeroom teacher," the animal says, motioning across from him, "Aizawa-sensei."

 _Shit_.

"I look forward to working with you, Aizawa-sensei," I say, to which he hums a weary hum.

The animal gestured towards an armchair adjacent to both sofas, "Please, sit. I want to go over some things before the morning starts. It won't take too long." I obliged, sitting myself down. "As you can tell, I am the chairman of this school. My name is Nedzu."

"It's nice to meet y-"

"Don't interrupt." I shut myself up, blushing lightly from embarrassment. I'm starting to get the feeling that my teacher already doesn't like me much.

The principal chuckles before continuing, "First of all, I want to know how you feel at the moment. Are you excited about your attending here, or are your emotions leaning onto the more negative side?"

I tilt my head sheepishly. _How do I tell them that I want nothing more than to get out of here...? Nevermind, that's not an option. I can't say that._

"W-Well, to tell you the truth," I start. "It's nerve-wracking. I-I'm sure that you already know my situation here.. Just weeks ago, I was a normal girl. And now..." I tighten my hold on my hands at my lap. "I'm grateful for this opportunity.. but things have gone faster than I'm able to handle. I've only used my quirk one time after all."

I look up, taking in the principal's understanding look behind his beady, black eyes. "I understand that it's quite the transition," he nods. "But from what I heard, you're quite the hardy girl. I'm sure you will adjust eventually. This school, and the class that you are put into; they're filled with children destined for greatness, just like you."

I let my hesitant smile drop, "Pardon me for being immodest, but you overestimate me."

The animal laughs, shaking his head. "You're quite polite, aren't you? But you see, Hachimitsu-san, I have a knack for spotting potential. You could do with a little more self-confidence, young lady."

"Anyways, that brings us on our next topic."

I shiver. Just hearing Aizawa-sensei's voice and being in the presence of his menacing aura was enough to make me panic. _I can't believe this guy's a hero, let alone, an instructor at UA!_

"We want to talk about your quirk," he states bluntly. "As much as we'd like to discuss this at length, there is not much we currently know about it. As far as the quirk database goes, no discernible information can be of help regarding your situation." I nod along, hesitantly making eye contact out of politeness. "We're still not entirely sure if its exactly what we think it is: Amplification. Or if it's just a similar quirk derivative of it."

"By enrolling you here, our goal isn't to only help you progress, but also to observe and to properly identify your individuality," Principal Nedzu continues. "I'm aware that beside our titles, we are mere strangers. But I do hope that you will lend us your aid and cooperate, for the sake of insight."

My eyes wander to the carpeted floor. _They're right.. even I don't know what the hell my quirk is or what it can actually do_. _Maybe.. it's worthwhile staying here for a bit after all._

I nod eagerly, "I.. I also want to know. Since I'm going to be stuck with it for the rest of my life, you know?" Hearing my own voice say that I'm willingly staying here was a shock, even to myself.

Principal Nedzu cheers, "That's the spirit!"

My teacher sighs once more; he doesn't seem to like happy and energetic atmospheres at all. He looked as if he was ready to crawl away into the darkness in any second, stay there and doze off. I wouldn't be surprised if that yellow sleeping bag by his feet, resembling a cocoon, was his go-to bed so that he could sleep anywhere he could.

"But, Hachimitsu-san, there's one more thing I'd like to pick your brain about," the principal resumes. "It's about that villain that you encountered not long ago. I believe he called himself, Knitemare, was it?" I nod my head, adverting my eyes to my hands on my lap. _Here we go.._ "I apologize if this upsets you, but-"

"No, not at all," I say. "If anything I know helps you in any way, I'll tell you all I can."

"I appreciate that. Thank you." I gulp; anxiety was building up inside me once more. The fear was returning. "After being defeated by a Pro Hero team led by Walmart Aquaman, they managed to detain him, and now he is safely held in an outpost in Kyoto. There are several things we have planned in order to completely understand the circumstances at hand; in fact, our personal UA nurse is on her way there to assist with any unexpected incidents that might occur."

 _The old lady from the office!_

"As you can understand, this is of top tier priority and we have set many precautions to successfully prevent any disturbances."

"I'm sorry but why.. why are you telling me this?"

Nedzu smiles lightly, "So you know that your safety is guaranteed."

"I..." _I doubt that._ "I appreciate your concern. Thank you."

He looks down at several papers on the coffee table, "Now, from the reports that we received, the villain's initial quirk differed from the latter that he displayed in the parking lot, is that true?"

"Yes, it is. The thing is, in the market, he built a sound barrier that kept any noise I made from escaping," I inform. My breath caught in my throat as I thought about what happened next outside the building. "But in the parking lot.. he was.."

The two instructors studied me closely, straining a curious ear to hear what I had to say next. My stomach instantly felt sick just thinking about the fast-approaching arm that knocked the wind out of me shortly after. I never thought I'd know how terrifying it was to see pain before you could feel it. It sent goosebumps across my skin.

"In the parking lot.. it wasn't.." I frown. _How do I explain this_ _?_ "I-It.. I don't think it was the same villain." The two men raised inquisitive eyebrows. "Like- I- he _was_ the same guy. I'm sure of it. But it wasn't the same guy in the head. You know what I mean?" I groan inwardly at my shit explanation.

He didn't speak, he didn't have the same quirk, and his eyes- they were different from the first time. Like there was nobody there anymore. I-I don't know how to explain it.."

"I completely understand what you're saying," Nedzu replies. I furrow my brows in confusion and astonishment, and so did Aizawa-sensei. _He did?_ "The reports from Kyoto stated that the villain had become despondent and refused communication, unlike their first encounter. Or rather, he was unable to speak at all."

 _So I was right_...

"Whatever this may mean, or whatever it turns out to be will be our responsibility from here on out," he says, almost as if speaking to himself. "We have trusted heroes present at the site, so you have nothing to worry about. I only wished to gather a little more intel before we decide to proceed."

"If there's anything that you remember- anything at all that you think is important, come to me or the principal," Aizawa-sensei says. "In the meantime, it looks as though our time is up." I glance up at the clock adorned on the far wall. There was only 10 more minutes until class begun.

"I'm sorry for taking your time," the principal politely bowed. "I thank you for listening to what I had to say."

"Not at all. I want to help as much as I can." _Lies. I want to forget that fight ever happened_.

"I'm heading to the classroom as well, so just follow me there." I nod eagerly at my teacher, glancing over my shoulder to give one last wave to the principal before we headed out the door.

The walk to the classroom demanded that we exit the attached building and re-enter through the front entrance, since Aizawa-sensei forgot his staff key in the teacher's lounge that allowed us to take the short-cut. I refused to even set my eyes on him in fear of being accused of staring once again- and in the midst of my internal uneasiness, it was a surprise that he decided to break the silence.

"We didn't get the chance to go over this, but regarding your classes and your future schedule here," he prepared to explain, slightly turning to look at me. "I'm not one to give special treatment, in fact, I absolutely loathe it. But given your circumstances, your current experience and where your presumed specialties lie, there will be some activities that you will be excused from. There will also be some that are tailored to your particular needs."

"L-Like special courses?" I ask, remembering what the pro heroes who visited my house had told me.

"Yeah," he replies. "Of course, this only applies to your Hero Studies. Concerning your general studies, those will remain as it is and it is mandatory that you attend them." I hummed, telling him that I understood. Aizawa-sensei's voice suddenly dropped, "Had it not been for your actions back then that saved those guys, I couldn't care less about your quirk- your potential for being a hero would have been below zero.

I'd expel you on the spot."

 _Eek!_

My body tightened out of dread. If the previous red flags weren't enough, this was definitely a clear sign that my teacher hated my guts- all the more reason to worry about my well-being here in this place. But irregardless, _it's not like I wanted to be a hero in the first place._

It seemed Aizawa-sensei was not satisfied with my silence, earning a jolt from me once more, "Understand?"

"Y-Yes, sir! I understand!"

Those were the last words exchanged before silence overtook. It wasn't until halfway to the classroom did one more strange, and frankly disturbing, thing happen. Aizawa-sensei suddenly stopped, propping up the yellow sleeping bag that he'd been dragging. He unzipped the zipper, crawling in. Unfortunately, he faced me the whole time he was fitting himself inside, scrutinizing me with bored eyes, as if I was the weird one in this situation.

 _I-Is he sleeping right here? Right now? But class is going to start-_

My thoughts were revoked when he suddenly zipped the zipper back up, falling to the ground with a thud. And then..

He started _wiggling_.

And surprisingly fast, too.

"A-Aizawa.. sensei..?" I stutter under my breath, watching the man already at the other end of the hallway. My emotions at this point were jaded, having gone through high-and-low in a matter of hours. For an odd reason, I was no longer fazed. And that scared me more than the yellow caterpillar man glaring at me further down the hall for not being able to keep up with him.

I smile an empty smile, walking briskly to catch up. It only took no more than several minutes until we reached the classroom. I recognize the large door to match the overall grandeur of the place; there was an equally large, bold **2-A** printed on the surface. I disregarded my homeroom teacher behind me murmuring for me to 'just open the damn door' and focused on calming down my racing pulse.

From partially exploring the main building, to meeting Midnight, to having the talk with the principal, I'd forgotten about my apprehension when it came to meeting new people. And now I was only one step away from teenagers my age, and they're all going to be staring at _me_.

"A-Aizawa-sensei.. w-what if they don't like me?" I thought aloud. I no longer cared if he hated me, right now, my heart was about to escape from my rib cage.

The said teacher sighed, "Is that what you're really worried about?" I gave him a nervous frown, to which he sighed once more. He unzipped his sleeping bag, crawling out rather unfashionably. "They're good kids. They'll like you." Out of nowhere, he gently pat my head before walking past me.

It immediately took a little weight off of my shoulders, knowing that my teacher was somewhat sympathetic.

I watch him set his free hand on the door's handle, sliding it fully open. With each millisecond, my heart raced faster. The chattering inside ceased and I could already feel eyes fixed to the entrance. The tension I'd been creating for myself rocked my nerves to the core. Aizawa-sensei stepped inside, his sleeping bag in hand, leaving the door open for me.

I gulp, hands shaking. I lift my knee, ready to take my first step in.

 _Okay..! Here I go!_

* * *

 **This chapter is more or less a transition from her normal life to her current life at UA. Nothing too special happens here, but I wanted to be thorough.**

 **The funny thing is, more things were supposed to happen in my original Chapter 3 Rough Draft, but I thought that it would have gone too fast in just one chapter, and the word count was off the roof, so I had to split it up.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This was supposed to be the second half of the original Chapter 3 rough draft I had planned, but I figured it was too tacky trying to stuff everything in one chapter. So here's number 4- I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

I thought it would be easy to simply run away. Yes, that was an idea that I briefly considered before crossing it off the list. My only focus at the moment were my legs; forced to take a step into a room full of eyes boring into my being.

Only one time in my life had I felt such overwhelming tension over something as feeble as meeting strangers. A time in kindergarten when I met all my childhood friends that I would grow up with, only to be dragged away to another city. Although, this time, that tension was doubled, understandably. Why I was transferred into Class 2-A; the class that boasts to be the strongest among the second years, was beyond me.

All I knew was that my previously predictable days were now far out of reach. Everything that is to happen following today is unforeseeable- and the thought alone scared me to my core.

Unfortunately, I had no time to properly consider my next initiative. I could _literally_ feel holes being burnt into my body as I ambled into homeroom. I kept my head hung considerably low but before I had the chance to lift it up in order to locate my seat, Aizawa-sensei's deep voice resounded in the suspenseful, silent classroom. I stopped in my tracks; right smack in the front and center.

"Oh right. We have a transfer," Aizawa-sensei casually drops, sauntering to his desk.

 _I give up_. With an inward sigh, I raise my head to meet the gaze of the class. As expected, they stared at me with wide, curious eyes as if I was a new animal in a petting zoo. There were some, however, that had different reactions.

A small man with several purple balls positioned on his scalp drooled with indecent eyes. A boy towards the back of the room with bi-colored hair held a passive and rather uninterested expression. And lastly, there was one more student, who I had never met in my life, glaring at me as if I committed the worst personal crime possible to him.

There were certainly mixed reactions among the students, but even more mixed feelings residing inside me. Partially concerning the enraged boy scowling in my direction like there's no tomorrow. Perhaps he's angry over something else, but I did not at all appreciate him taking it out on me through his relentless staring.

However, now that I've gotten the hard part over with, the cumbersome weight on my shoulders had dissipated. Sensei was right; the students here, with the exception of a couple, seemed pleased if not overjoyed with my presence. I let out a silent breath of relief; my stomach, for the moment, stopped stirring in its bed.

"Introduce yourself," Aizawa-sensei ordered, folding his sleeping bag neatly and tucking it away inside his desk.

I complied, "H-Hello. My name is Hachimitsu Mikan." I leaned down slightly to present a polite bow. "Please treat me well."

 _Why does my voice feel so weak right now?! Shit..!_

My introduction was met with an even more strained silence as the students gave each other unreadable glances, before I flinched from surprise when over half of them jumped into the air enthusiastically.

" **A GIRL**!"

"Another girl!"

"She's so cute!"

"I bet she's strong!"

"Guys- guys, calm down...!"

My face faltered, finding my foot had taken a hesitant step back. This was unexpected. The students were conversing with themselves, ecstatic, disregarding the sinister, growing aura that the teacher was emitting.

I ignored the delighted feeling budding in my heart and decided to cower away from the man. "Take a seat," he ordered, his hair ominously hovering in the air- his eyes glowing a bright red. With no time to waste, I obeyed and rushed to the back of the class to the only empty seat. The students had now quieted down, and sat with stiff backs and anxious faces.

Setting my white, fluffy backpack atop my desk, I circled around and let my body fall onto the blue chair. A sense of relief washed over me now that I was no longer standing in the spotlight. Although from the corner of my eyes, I still noticed several glances being sent my way.

Especially from the girl next to me who didn't care to hide her curiosity, and let a large, wide smile spread across her face. She wore a brunette bob cut, and her cheeks were as rosy as they come. I gave her a small smile, to which she returned an even bigger one.

I lit up with a subtle happiness. _This_ _place... I guess it isn't as bad as I thought it was._

My attention was stripped from her when Aizawa-sensei began speaking once again.

"Class started-" he briefly glanced at the clock, "-five minutes ago. Yet we're only now covering the announcements for today. You all took too long to settle down."

"But Aizawa-sensei-!" a boy with an eye-catching red, spiked cactus that covered his head interrupted, "You didn't tell us that we were going to get a new classmate today!"

"Correct. Even I, the class president, was not made aware of this new addition." I directed my attention to a tall guy with a face and glasses similar to the shape of a rectangle. He had his hands set straight in front of him, identical to a robot. "I would think this is of important matter, sensei."

A rather pretty girl several seats away from me put her hand on her chin thoughtfully, muttering out loud, "If a transfer was to be made from the General Education Department, I more or less expected Shinso Hitoshi to be suitable for that role."

 _The General Education.. Department?_

Aizawa-sensei sighed, realizing that it would be faster and more convenient to answer their questions now. "Two things before we move on," he says. "One, along with the beginning of this new school year, it is required that we re-elect the president for this class." A gasp was heard from the rectangle guy. "Iida or someone else, I don't care who you vote for.

There's no particular rule that you must abide by when it comes to the poll. With that in mention, we won't be holding the actual election until two weeks from now, so I'd very much like to continue this conversation then."

"U-Understood!" the guy, who I assumed was Iida, responded.

 _As expected of this class- they're familiar with how impatient sensei gets._

"And one other thing. I won't get too much into it, and I suggest you don't pry further on your part. But Hachimitsu isn't from the General Educations Department." This grabbed the students' attention. "Nor is she from any of the other departments here in UA."

Once the murmurs began echoing, I looked down at my lap sheepishly. I was uncomfortable, if not feeling unwelcome. Of course, I've felt this way the second I stepped onto campus so it wasn't an entirely foreign emotion.

"So she's a completely new student?" a boy with a blackish-greenish perm thought aloud.

The pretty girl spoke once more, "I didn't think it was possible to receive an outside transfer past the first year. Just how strong is she?" She turns her head in my direction and as if on cue, the rest of the class' head swiveled as well. I grew rigid in my seat, looking down anxiously. I willed myself to avoid blushing under the pressure but the heat traveled to my face nonetheless.

 _Please stop looking at me!_

I sensed sensei's sinister aura pull the students' attention to him once again, earning an inward breath of relief from me. "Her circumstance at the moment is irrelevant to you. It is not for you to concern yourself with and I hope, for your sake, that you keep your nose out if it," he urges. _No! Aizawa-sensei, you're only making me more suspicious!_ His eyes suddenly narrowed threateningly, "If anyone makes one more unnecessary interruption, you'll be crawling on your hands and knees to the PE grounds and back for punishment. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, sensei!"

"Good. We don't have all morning so it's best to get this over with," he continues, his voice turning down a notch in assertiveness. "I won't repeat myself so pay close attention to what I have to say.

Regarding your future experience here in terms of overall health and living conditions, we've come to determine that your daily Hero Studies do not provide the essential physical exercise necessary for kids your age. The results of the hero activities itself largely varies; from Bakugou who goes haywire and and undergoes a full-body conditioning-"

The boy who had mercilessly glared daggers at me earlier grunted at the mention of the last bit.

"-to Mineta, who chooses to stroll and avoid direct confrontation, thus not sustaining the essential daily workout to improve and progress his physical state."

"H-Hey!" the purple-balls boy exclaimed.

Aizawa-sensei disregarded the outcries and continued, "This has only come to my attention when the matter was brought up by Principal Nedzu. And although I'm not entirely convinced, I do believe that optimum fitness is imperative. We will not take into account the personal time you've set aside to train yourselves."

The rectangle guy thought aloud, "Then I imagine that from now on, Hero Studies will undergo changes to ascertain that each student's progress is heavily monitored."

"Not at all," Sensei replies. "We'll just be adding a normal PE class on top of your other classes, starting tomorrow."

"Eh?"

"That's it," Aizawa-sensei swiftly grabs his beloved sleeping bag and strolls across the front of the room, before dipping out the door, "Class dismissed."

Class 2-A, excluding my oblivious self, was frozen in their seats.

" **EHHHHHH?!** "

.

Overcoming the brief turmoil, Class 2-A was forced to endure the rest of the morning classes without a proper answer to their many, many questions.

I could feel the displeasure and the irritation that haunted the students and it was amusing watching their various reactions- from a boy with a patch of black in his blonde hair sprawled out on his desk, overcome with exhaustion despite it being the first day of school; to the enraged, ash blonde student threatening to kill _'that damned Eraserhead_ _'_.

I, myself, did not particularly care about the extra labor. Since a young age, having thought I was quirkless, I had to climb a steeper hill than those around me. It was always a great incline and I guess somewhere down the road, I learned to enjoy it.

The only thing I was concerned about was my Hero Studies, considering I haven't fully grasped my month-old quirk-

 _The quirk that people insist I have despite not even having used it consciously._

As the teacher went on about proper grammatical use of commas in compound sentences, I let my mind wander to the conversation I had with the principal and Aizawa-sensei earlier this morning.

We covered several topics, but I noticed that despite assuring me that my quirk was viable, they never really mentioned how it granted me a full-ride at such a prestigious school. In fact, they themselves weren't sure what to think of it either.

I struck an uneasy nerve.. _but I know their intentions_.

They wanted someone with my presumed quirk on the Hero's side; or simply, they wanted me.

I was never one to brag and flaunt my qualities, but there's no denying that my particular individuality is rare in of itself. If properly sustained and nurtured, a quirk that could amplify other quirks could prove to a become a force to be reckoned with.

My quirk isn't positively identified as of right now, but if it's what we all think it is, whoever calls _dibs_ first would have an upper hand. Either the Hero's side, or the Villain's side.

It stirred restlessness into my heart, not knowing what was in store for me. Or maybe..

 _Maybe I'm just getting too full of myself._

 _I know what my limits are and there's no way I could ever be that powerful._

Another theory is that they truly did want to observe, and observe _only_ , my so-called rare ability. If that's the case after all, then I don't particularly mind cooperating. I also want to know as much as I can if I'm going to be stuck with this quirk for the rest of my life.

Lost in my thoughts for the most part of morning classes, I failed to notice how fast the day actually passed. Anything out of the ordinary besides the eccentric teachers were the girls in front of me and beside me introducing themselves quietly.

One named Asui, with the appearance of a cute frog, and the other, Uraraka.

She beamed loudly but her voice was in a low whisper, "Hey.. hey.." I turn to her slightly, raising my eyebrows. She continues, "Have you seen Game of Thrones?" I shake my head, nonplussed. "Woah.. really?"

I sneak a glance at the teacher at the front of the room, oblivious to our conversation. I whisper back, "I've heard of it. Isn't it supposed to be violent and kind of obscene?" She nods enthusiastically.

"That's what makes it good!"

I opened my mouth to an 'o' shape, nodding along with her in approval. I've heard a plenty of positive reviews from my friends back home but considering that the only streaming service in my previous apartment was the living room TV, and I didn't want my mom to be exposed to that kind of shocking behavior, I avoided it.

I gave her a smile regardless, "I'll look into it." _Even though I don't have anything to watch it with.._

She stuck her thumbs up approvingly and that ended the conversation for that class. The morning flew by rather quickly, and perplexed thoughts of my first exchange with another student lingered in my head. To think that my first time talking to the first student I've met here was going to be about Game of Thrones.. _should I be disappointed_?

I shook my head subtly in an attempt to forget about it. _I'll have plenty of chances to talk to her and my other classmates, too, hopefully._

When the bell rang to signal the beginning of lunch period, I gathered my books and pencil and stuffed it into my backpack. I forgot that despite upholding the title of a prestigious Hero school, this was still a place of learning. And that included basic studies as well.

The only difference was that Present Mic-sensei had the tendency to scream ' **YEAHHHH** ' every so often, and Midnight-sensei deemed it was appropriate to lash her whip at inattentive students.

As I slung my backpack over my shoulder, ready to follow the line of students exiting out of the room, a wave of dread washed over me once more.

 _Crap... I'm going to be eating alone!_ My stomach only dropped lower from there, realizing that I didn't actually know the location of the cafeteria or how much the food costed. I kept my thoughts to myself, keeping a straight face as I nonchalantly walked away from my desk. But inside, I was panicking.

A sudden tap on my shoulder made me jump out of my skin. I turn around to Uraraka, head tilted to the side curiously. She pointed at my backpack, "Where're you going?"

 _I have no clue_. "Oh- I was- I was just going to walk around and get to know the place."

"Really? Can I come with?"

 _Shit._

I purse my lips, observing her eager expression. She seemed like an earnest, genuine person. A tinge of guilt struck me realizing that immediately after meeting his girl, I've been dishonest. Even if it was just a small white lie.

I sigh, puffing my cheeks in embarrassment, "I-I lied. I wasn't.. actually going to explore." She blushes suddenly, eyes focused on my flushed cheeks. "I don't know where the cafeteria is.. and.. I don't really wanna go there." _Since I'll be eating alone_.

Uraraka leans in closer. "H-How cute!" she breathes, poking one of my cheeks. I grumble, embarrassed and awkward under her doting gaze. She finally gets the clue after I swatted her hand away several times, retreating back a good couple feet. "Well, how about I give you a tour anyways? We can get our lunch from the vending machine downstairs."

I gave her a look of quiet bewilderment, recognizing a sincere expression painted on her face. "I-If that isn't too much trouble.." The brunette's cheeks flared up once more as she spit a substantial amount of spit out, visibly amused.

"HOW CUTE!"

"Sto- Uraraka-san please stop!"

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Is that her? No.. Wait, is that her? Shit, it isn't her either. Where is the hell she? You don't think she got lost do you?"

Bakugou violently ate his lunch, a bowl of fried tempura and udon noodles in spicy broth. He enjoyed his time alone quietly and on occasions, he could more or less tolerate his two fellow students conversing and speaking to him. This was not one of those days.

Just that morning, he discovered that his longtime childhood friend, Midoriya, had placed higher than him by one point on a preliminary test that Eraserhead handed out a week prior in the dormitory. And it was on a question that he had mistakenly read incorrectly, too.

"I saw her with Uraraka before we left, so she's probably with her."

The ash-blonde shredded the tempura with his harsh chewing, trying to drown out the two boys sitting in front of him, watching the entrance of the cafeteria with great care.

"Wahh? But shouldn't they be here by now?" Kirishima pouts. "I was hoping that she sat here today so we can get to know her!"

"No way dude," Sero scoffs, "Ashido and Hagakure were thinking the same thing. No doubt she'd choose the girls over us." Kirishima frowns, eating his lunch in distraught. "Plus..." the cellophane tape boy casts a worried glance across at his kind-of-friend, devouring his food brutally, "I don't think she'd want to come anywhere near this table anyway."

* * *

"And then he fell off the roof and broke his leg!"

Uraraka broke out laughing while I attempted to join her, failing miserably. She had been telling about her various experiences here in UA, once being attacked in a campus building by intruders, and this particular time in which her and a friend snuck onto the main building's roof to watch the stars. Both having ended unpleasantly.

"W-was Midoriya-san okay?"

"Oh yeah, totally! He's pretty tough for a scrawny boy, you know?" she grins. "Not as tough as Kirishima, though. Because Deku only has normal human skin.. and he also bleeds.. and his bones also break.. and he can also feel pain." I stare at her, concerned but she continues, "Well, we got in trouble. We had to bring him to the school nurse to get him fixed and that's how they found out."

"Oh.. I.. I feel bad," I say.

She waves her hand, "Don't be. He's broken his bones a lot more times before. Plus, he was the one who wanted to see how far he could float."

I look down at my melonpan that she bought for me from the first floor vending machine. My appetite disappeared along with the carefree air as Uraraka continued to laugh at her friend's clumsiness that drove him off the roof of a six story building. I couldn't help but apply that same scenario to me, considering that I'll be taking countless risks to my health just by attending this school.

"Hey, Hachimitsu-san," I direct my attention to the girl, who was watching me with curious eyes. "I know Aizawa-sensei said not to pry.. but if it's okay with you, I'd like to ask how you got into here."

 _Crap!_

I look away momentarily to ponder my reply. I half-expected to be asked that question, so I guess I should've formulated and rehearsed a response.

 _What do I tell her? Do I tell her the truth? Am I even allowed to share what happened that day outside of the conference room?_

"I got in through the Exam Entrance last year," Uraraka shares. She merrily swung her arms at her sides as we walked back towards the stairs. "We had to defeat robots and get points! And then Deku saved me from being crushed by this giannnt one! It was really hard, but still.." she hung her head low, but a jubilant grin was painted on her lips, "that was only the beginning!" _Only the beginning...?_ "We still have a long ways to g-"

Her head swivels to me, fist clenched in determination, a courageous beam directed at me, but it all fell in an instant when she saw me as pale as a ghost, shivering in fear. "GAH! ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

I held my arms close to my body- I felt my stomach fold over itself. "T-this.. is only the beginning.. it's gonna get harder..!" Uraraka panicked, circling me numerous times in an attempt to calm me down. I dramatically fell to the floor, keeling over in anxiousness. "I-I think I'm gonna be sick-!"

"WAH- HACHIMITSU-SAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" she kneeled down beside me, "Do you need to take a crap?! O-oh, OH! YOU'RE GONNA VOMIT! WAIT A SECOND, LET ME TIE YOUR HAIR-!"

I gagged multiple times before my body decided I hadn't exactly eaten enough to actually throw anything back up. I grumbled, holding my stomach on the floor. The comical fear of my life being more challenging that it already was enveloped me, and I guess it enveloped Uraraka too.

She looked absolutely bizarre as she squat by my side, hand clutching onto my locks, anticipating the melonpan I'd eaten earlier to burst out of my mouth. I gave her a forced smile, still feeling nauseous from my kind-of-panic attack, "I-I'm okay."

"For God's sake, you scared the living shit out of me!"

She let out a breath of relief, letting go of my hair. " _You_ scared the living shit out of me!" I say, standing up on soft legs with her support. "Just talking about difficult things like that kind of scares me. I'm sorry for worrying you."

She furrows her brows in confusion, "Then why go to a hero school? You can't keep threatening to either crap or vomit, or both, every time we talk about things like this- which is gonna be a lot, spoiler alert."

I shrugged, "It's a long story- I'll tell you some other time. And I wasn't going to poo, by the way, I just suddenly felt like I needed to throw up. Can we stop talking about this, please?"

The girl sighs, her disconcerting expression turning to one of genuine understanding, "Right. I'll just assume that you've had your share of hardships, too." I return her smile, taking the first step to head back to the classroom. "The nightmares.. you know- they go away after some time."

My heart fell, remembering that Uraraka herself has looked evil in the face before. I watch her's closely; it was void of any fear or foreboding, unlike mine.

 _I bet she's had that same sick feeling in her stomach, too_.

The thought alone gained her my respect- to be able to face unimaginable malice, but still manage to retain that smile.

She turns to me, "Aizawa-sensei is great to talk to if you want to get things off your chest. He can be scary, but he's a good person. He'll listen." I nod, making a mental note to overcome my unease around the man. "A-Also..." she scratches the back of her head sheepishly, "I.. I'll also listen, too, you know.

I know we just met, but.. if you need anyone to talk to.. or if you need someone to tie your hair when you're about to vomit.. or crap.. you can call me."

I disregarded her last comment, facing away out of embarrassment. My heart filled with warmth that instantly spread throughout my body; her sincerity immediately easing my apprehension. It was difficult to put my feelings into words, but I knew what I wanted to say- or more specifically, what I wanted to ask.

I puffed my cheeks out of habit, embarrassed, "S-So.. does this mean..." she raises an eyebrow, urging me to continue. My cheeks flushes a deep pink, "..does this mean we're.. _friends_..?"

"Eh..?" her face falters before a familiar look flashes in her eyes. I purse my lips, treading forwards at a faster pace. As expected, she charged after me with ease, grabbing onto my left arm with a force of a dominatrix.

I attempted to pull away but to no avail. "U-Uraraka-san- please- sto-"

" **YOU'RE SO GOSH-DARN CUTE!** "

.

"Hachimitsu- wait a second. Come here," Aizawai-sensei calls. I see him gesturing to his desk and I comply. He sets down a folder he was skimming though, meeting my gaze nonchalantly, "Here's how things are going to be. Granted that it's the first day, the Hero Activity for today isn't anything too strenuous. Regardless, your only task is to observe. You will not be partaking in it, until you've fully adjusted, is that clear?"

 _Why does he assume I'm just dying to be thrown into a moshpit of teenagers and chaos?_

I nod my head eagerly, but not _too eagerly_ , as to not reveal my true emotions. "Yes, sensei." He dismisses me, returning to the stack of paper on his desk.

I head back to Uraraka, waiting by the door with her friend, who I assumed to be Midoriya. "Sorry for making you wait."

"It's no problem," the brunette says. "What did he say to you?"

"Oh, it's nothing.. just something about today's Hero Activity," I reply, following them down the hall. "I'm going to sit this one out."

A puzzled expression flew by Uraraka's face briefly before she let out a sigh, "I guess this is the part where I don't pry, huh?" I gave her thankful smile, not really feeling up to explaining everything. "That's okay. Anyways, so remember the guy I was talking about earlier? This is him," she motions to the scrawny, yet fit boy with a head of black-and-green locks.

His eyes were the biggest I've seen and his cheeks were dotted with freckles.

"H-Hi!" he waves a hand, giving a tight smile. "M-My name's Midoriya Izuku-"

"Or Deku," Uraraka adds. "Only Bakugou and I call him that- oh, but you can call him that, too, if Deku's okay with it!" The boy in mention nods enthusiastically. "See?"

I politely decline, "I'll call you Midoriya-san for now, if that's okay with you." He seemed to approve of that as well, smiling contently. "I'm Hachimitsu Mikan, by the way. I was told that my room will be on the same floor as yours- the second floor, right?"

"Wah? So you'll be neighbors?"

Midoriya opened his mouth in subtle surprise, "I-I guess..." He turns away momentarily, seeming to murmur to himself, "W-wow..! A-a girl's on our floor..!" I let an open-mouthed smile play on my lips, ready to converse more with the boy until a visible realization came over him. He set a hand on his chin, troubled, "How strange that the school board decides to room a girl on the same floor as Mineta. I hope he doesn't find out about this.."

Uraraka's jaw suddenly dropped, awestruck at the boy's mumbling. When I opened my mouth to inquire about the possible issue, she quickly grabbed mine and Midoriya's wrists, sprinting down the stairs in a hurry. "Well, look at the time! We're going to be late!"

"W-Wait- y-you guys, what's wro-"

"NOTHING!" both screamed in sync.

I was forcibly dragged along, baffled at their reactions. My day proved to be that much more unpredictable as I anticipated another wave of apprehension at what I didn't know. _Who the hell is this Mineta guy? Exactly how strong is he that they're this scared?_

Uraraka let go of both our hands once we made it out the first floor, slowing down to a moderate pace.

"We need to catch up with Iida and the others; they're probably already at Ground Beta by now," Midoriya says, lightly jogging ahead of us. The past conversation looks to have already been forgotten. I sigh, following along behind them.

"Ugh.. we're going to hear it from him."

 _Iida..? That guy.. he's-_ "The rectangle guy, right?"

Uraraka burst out laughing, shaking her head, "Nah, more like a square type of guy. Both his body and his personality."

"He's a good friend, though. I'm sure you two will get along," Midoriya chimes in. He looks back to me over his shoulder, smiling, "I heard from Uraraka that you almost had a bathroom emergency earlier because you got spooked. I'd hoped that we had more time to talk.. but for right now, I want you to know that you're not alone. We all get scared sometimes, and that's perfectly okay!"

I let my content expression fall, glancing at the girl by his side stifling her laughter. Why do I feel like a dagger with a brown bob wig and drawn-on pink cheeks just stabbed me dead center in the back?

I sigh, ignoring the unpleasant part I didn't wish to hear as I cast a warm smile to the boy awaiting my reply. "Right, _Uraraka-san_ said the same thing, too. Thank you, Midoriya-san." The girl spit out of amusement hearing the venom in her name, slightly facing me to present a peace sign.

"Sorry," she whispers over her shoulder. "You were just too cute!"

 _I was going to vomit in the damn hallway, lady._

I let out a defeated breath, successfully giving in. I was far too exhausted to respond appropriately. _I just hope tomorrow isn't like this again.. or the day after tomorrow.. or the one after that._

I observe my two classmates ahead of me conversing to themselves nonchalantly. Despite my difficulty composing myself in the midst of this troublesome day, I was more or less astonished at how lax and surprisingly friendly the students were. I suppose my expectation of them were a bit extreme- all I saw when I imagined UA students were boastful, arrogant, but powerful kids who didn't walk towards the future, but sprinted towards it at full speed.

Uraraka and Midoriya, even Usui-san, who I've yet to talk to, seemed to be genuinely pleasant people.

 _I hope I get to know them better soon... so that life here will be easier.._

 _And so that I have someone to have lunch with.._

"Hachimitsu?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, looking ahead to the two students watching me with attentive eyes. Midoriya gestured for me to hurry, pointing to a towering, cement wall I failed to notice before. "That's the entrance to Ground Beta! We're almost there! Come on!"

I picked up my pace while staring in awe at the massive structure that gloated an equally as giant gate. Students in a bizarre array of costumes stood at it's foot, all of their eyes on us. The square guy, who was now introduced to me as Iida, tapped his foot impatiently, hands resting on his hips.

"Where have you three bee-" his face faltered as his whole hand shot up to point at us accusingly, shocked at our appearances. "Y-YOU'RE ALL STILL DONNING YOUR UNIFORMS!"

"Sorry, Iida, we got caught up with something," Uraraka apologizes with a care-free smile, "But we're here now!"

"UNPREPARED, THAT IS!" the boy brought his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disappointment. "Uraraka, Midoriya, I'm disappointed with this inexcusable behavior. On the first day of all days! And Hachimitsu Mikan," he turns to me with downcast eyes. "I was expecting more of you. Perhaps I overestimated you."

"Wh-" I drew back in shock while Uraraka burst out cackling behind me. _Crap.. I already messed up!_ I bowed politely, looking the boy right in his square-shaped eyes. The last thing I wanted was to lose the trust of my classmates before they even fostered any in me. "I apologize for my shortcomings. I hope to improve under UA's supervision. Forgive me."

Iida's arrow eyebrows raised in what I assumed to be surprise as he returned a 160° degree bow. "At the very least, your response shows promise. Those two, on the other hand," he glances to permy and the brunette, "have yet to learn how crucial modesty is when addressing fellow heroes."

Uraraka took great offense to this, directing a frown that reached her chin to the boy. "Whaddaya say-"

He turned a blind eye to her and held his hand out towards me, "My name is Iida Tenya. I look forward to working with you, Hachimitsu Mikan."

I took it, giving him as firm of a handshake as I could, "A-As do I, Iida-san." We both exchanged a small smile, acknowledging each other to be colleagues from there on out.

"W-Wow.. she got Iida to give it a rest!"

"He complimented her, too! Did you hear that?"

As if Aizawa-sensei could not, for the life of him, make a remotely normal entrance, his deep voice snuck up on me once more like a silent fart. I jumped slightly, pursing my lips in discontent. "This isn't the time to play or make friends," he monotoned. "Uraraka, Midoriya-"

"Y-Yes, sensei!" the two stood as stiff as a board, paying very close attention to the gloomy teacher.

He sighed as his eyes scanned over them, recognizing that they were not, in fact, in the appropriate attire.

Iida stepped forwards, practically screaming for no reason, "S-SENSEI, I TOLD THE-"

"I don't care. Just get dressed, you two," Aizawa-sensei sighs, sauntering towards the gate. "Hachimitsu, follow me."

I did as I was told, staying close to his heels. The grandeur of the nearing wall twisted my stomach in anxiety. My palms became sweaty and my mouth, suddenly dry. I gulped, letting my eyes catch the glare of the sun peeking from the top of the enclosure. Skyscrapers greeted me from beyond, causing me to wonder what exactly was past those enormous gates.

Aizawa-sense's instructions pulled me from my thoughts. "Your assignment for today is to solely observe the students and contribute to the feedback," he states as he continues to stroll ahead. "The feedback being the review of each student's results according to the rules of today's activity."

I nod, "S-So.. I-I take note of what they did good, and what they could've done better..?"

"Exactly."

 _Alright, that's not that hard, I suppose._

 _I just hope I don't have to share in front of the class. I don't exactly think they'll take well to me criticizing them._

"Also," sensei continues.

 _Lord, no._

"You will be adding necessary commentary when I critique their results and evaluate their grade at the end of class."

 _I give up._

I sigh quietly to myself. "Understood.."

 _This day is just getting longer by the second_.

* * *

 **Hey!**

 **It took several days for me to write this chapter. I don't know why. I guess I find it harder to formulate the sort of back and forth between canon characters and this OC. So I take some time rereading and rereading to see if it sounds natural or whatnot.**

 **I want to say right now that this story really is slow-paced (like I put in the description), and with how ever many chapters I may write, I want to develop TWO main things. One of which is the BakugouKatsukixOC narrative. The other is the main conflict that I foreshadowed in the first chapter.**

 **I hope you stick around for when it gets good. Thanks for reading!**


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